Reconciliation
by Pink-x-Moonlight
Summary: What will happen when Jess returns to Stars Hollow unexpectedly? Will he push Rory and Logan apart? Or will he only make things better? RLJ and LL. Please R&R! Thank you for all your patronage!
1. Night of Loneliness

**Reconciliation**

**A/N: **This story evolves the events following Jess' surprise return. This fiction is set at no specific time period except Rory is in her second year at Yale and if dating Logan officially. Difference is, Lorelai and Luke are not together and have never been. Maybe they will be by the end. We'll have to wait and see :) My story is completely finished, so I will post all seven chapters at once. Therefore, there will be no cliffhangers. Hooray! I started writing this story awhile ago and just finished it, and I'm am quite proud of it. This is my second fan fic, so please read and review! I could really use your advice and constructive criticism.I hope you all enjoy! So now on with chapter one of _Reconciliation...

* * *

_

**Chapter 1: Night of Loneliness**

"Rory! You have point twoseconds to get your butt out the door!" Lorelai yelled throughout the house even though her daughter's room stood only inches from her reach. She hastily poured herself a cup of coffee as she searched the room frantically with her eyes.

"Where the hell are my keys?" Lorelai called out, expecting no answer of any kind.

"Check the coffee table," Rory replied as she entered the kitchen in a whirlwind state. Her hair was slightly mussed due to her hurrying to not be late to her grandparents for Friday night dinner.

"You ready?" Lorelai asked as she drained the aforementioned cup of coffee. Rory nodded just as she caught sight of her hair in the mirror hanging on the hallway wall.

"Mom! Were you going to let me walk out of the house looking like the Bride of Frankenstein?"

"Oh honey, I wouldn't go that far. You only look like a slightly electrocuted peacock. I thought it was the new trend with you youngens or something," Lorelai replied, trying diligently to keep a straight face. Rory stuck her tongue out at her mother and walked into the living room, retrieving the once lost keys in the process.

"Come on or I'm leaving without you!" Rory called as she opened the front door.

"Is that a promise?" Lorelai asked sarcastically.

"Mom!"

"Okay, okay." Lorelai unwillingly walked from the kitchen, to the foyer, and out the front door, sighing the entire way.

* * *

The bell clanged obnoxiously as the last customer exited Luke's diner. Luke gratefully turned the sign from "Open" to "Closed" and locked the door with one fell swoop. As he went to the close the blinds, a tan Jeep filled with two pretty brunettes grabbed his attention. It was Lorelai and Rory coming back from another infamous Friday night dinner no doubt. A smile snuck across Luke's tan face and thoughts crept into his mind that he could not avoid. He trailed the car with his eyes, watching as the taillights disappeared into the night. He stood by the window, staring at the street that has once possessed her brilliant smile and delicate laugh. He snapped out of his trance as he heard an annoying tapping sound against the diner window. There stood Kirk, with a seemingly endless confused expression on his face. 

"What are you doing?" he yelled inquisitively through the glass after he had received Luke's attention.

"Go away Kirk!" Luke growled, as an all to familiar scowl took place of the once warm and pleasant smile. Despite Luke's attempts, Kirk continued to stand by his window and stare. "Kirk leave now or I'll come out there and make you." Kirk's eyes widened and without any hesitation, he scurried away.

Luke sighed and turned to walk upstairs to his tiny apartment, all alone, flicking the lights off in the process.

* * *

"Night Rory," Lorelai said as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom. Her old tattered slippers ("comfortable" she often called them) scuffed against the hardwood floor and her favorite flannel pajamas (you know, the ones covered in big red lips) hung warmly around her. 

She entered her room, not even bothering with the lights, and climbed into her bed all alone, once again.


	2. White Christmas and Unexpected Visitors

**_Chapter 2: White Christmas and Unexpected Visitors_**

The Gilmore girls strolled along the streets of Stars Hollow taking in the gorgeous scenery of the late spring that would soon turn to summer.

"Okay so for tonight, " Rory was saying, "were having a musical marathon."

"Right," replied Lorelai, "you know, the usual: Singin' in the Rain, Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, White Christmas…"

"Too bad its June and almost summer Mom." Rory laughed at her mother.

"So? That doesn't mean that I'm not… dreaming of a white Christmas…" Lorelai started singing in a squeaky, off key pitch. Shaking her head, Rory briskly walked away from her mother and into Luke's, swiftly closing the door behind her so that Lorelai's singing disability would not follow her.

"Luke save me! She's singing," Rory exclaimed with a laugh just as Lorelai burst into the diner with a theatrical swing of her arms.

"And may all you Christmases be whiteeeeee!" Lorelai finished with a  
"ta-da!" and wiped her brow. "Whew, it's hard work being a talented singer!" she exclaimed, taking a seat at the counter.

"Oh and you would know because… you've interviewed one recently?" Rory retorted smartly, raising an eyebrow. After immaturely sticking her tongue out at her daughter, Lorelai then turned to Luke, who had been absently watching their immense displays of affection.

"Coffee. Now. Please," Lorelai demanded, smiling angelically at the man in the baseball cap. Sighing heavily, Luke removed the pot of freshly brewed coffee and poured Lorelai and her daughter steaming hot cups of java.

"You know one these days you're going to drink much coffee that you'll explode and _I'll_ have to clean up the mess," Luke said, hiding his smile extremely well.

"So if I were to explode, all you'd care about is the mess?"

"If you stained my wall with coffee, yes," he replied, folding his arms smugly. "You'd care too… you're the one who painted them!"

"True," Lorelai pondered, " but if it's just the matter of ruining a paint job, then I prefer to drink a lot of coffee."

"You forgot the whole exploding thing," Rory pointed out.

"Oh yeah, well… you win some, you lose some. I can deal with exploding if it means lots and lots of coffee." Lorelai smiled and took a sip of her coffee. "Ah… yup… definitely worth an explosion."

"It really is amazing how a single comment can turn into a huge ordeal with you two," Luke added before he went to tend to another customer. Lorelai and Rory glanced at each other and giggled.

After a moment or two, Luke returned to refill the already emptied coffee cups.

"So, what prompted the singing of White Christmas?" Luke asked, "Did you get confused about the seasons or something?"

"What's with the anti-Christmas spirit?" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Uh well it could be that it's June," Luke answered matter-of-factly.

"So? Your point being?"

"Oh never mind. You're impossible."

"But I'm cute."

"That doesn't mean you're not impossible."

"So you think I'm cute?"

"Well yeah. I mean no. I mean. Well. Um," Luke stammered, his cheeks slightly flushed. The three of them sat there in a moment of silence, Luke looking embarrassed.

"Luke thinks my Momma's cute!" Rory teased, a playful smile flying across her lips. Before anyone could reply, a familiar voice interrupted.

"Well I think you're cute." Rory whipped her head around in excitement.

"Logan! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, standing up to hug her boyfriend. Their relationship, though in the early stages, was going exceptionally well and Rory was delighted to see him.

"Well I know we were supposed to see each other tomorrow night, but this whole not seeing you every day due to summer vacation thing was killing me. I just missed you that's all," he said, smiling down at her.

"How sweet, " she said, standing up on the balls of her feet to kiss him. Rory then settled back down into her seat and Logan took the stool next to her.

"Hey Logan," Lorelai said smiling warmly at the tall blond.

"Nice to see you, Lorelai," he replied politely.

"Logan, this is the infamous Luke," Rory said, introducing the two.

"Finally I get to meet you, "Logan said leaning over and shaking Luke's hand firmly, " thanks for supplying her with all the coffee when she comes back to town. She's completely dysfunctional without it, I'm sure. I don't think I'd ever like to find out for myself," Logan laughed.

"It's no problem. I figure the world is a lot better off with coffee filled Gilmores… even if it does stain my walls," Luke said slyly, glancing at Lorelai, and leaving Logan slightly confused.

"Don't ask, " interjected Rory, "hey, let's go take a tour of the town!"

"I'd love to," Logan said standing up from his seat. "Nice to meet you Luke. See you later Lorelai."

"Bye mom," Rory added, kissing her mother on the cheek, "thanks for the coffee Luke."

"Anytime replied Luke, smiling as the couple turned to exit.

"Bye guys," Lorelai called after them as they left, hand in hand. Lorelai leaned against the counter and rested her chin against the palm of her hand.

"He seems very nice," Luke commented.

"Yeah, he is. And he's been good for Rory," Lorelai replied, smiling. "Okay, so back to you thinking I'm cute." Lorelai's angelic smile turned to a devilish grin.

"I never said that," Luke exclaimed defensively.

"Oh come on, you know I'm right. Just say it!" Luke said nothing. He just gave Lorelai a coy smile, and walked into the kitchen.

"You're going to answer me sooner or later. And I'm not leaving until you do!" Lorelai called after him. Hearing the echo of her voice, Luke smiled thinking that wasn't a bad idea at all. Little did he know that Lorelai was thinking the same exact thing.

* * *

Outside, Rory and Logan were strolling around the town square, seeing the sights of Stars Hollow. 

"Hey Miss Patty," Rory called as they passed her dance studio.

"Rory! Hello!" catching sight of Logan she added, "hello handsome! And who might you be?"

"Logan Huntzberger," he quickly replied, shaking her hand in the process, "nice to meet you."

"No honey, very nice to meet _you_," Miss Patty said, raising an eyebrow.

"I was just showing Logan the sights," Rory explained.

"Okay you kids go on. Hope to see you again, _very_ soon." Miss Patty turned and sauntered back into her dance studio. Logan wrapped his arm around Rory's waist and kissed her on the top of her head.

"Sorry about that. Miss Patty loves men. Especially cute men. It's what she lives for."

"That's fine. She was sweet. A tad forward, yet sweet," Logan laughed, but got no response. He suddenly realized Rory had stopped dead in her tracks and was staring at some unknown object. Following her shocked gaze, he saw the thing that had gained her undivided attention. There stood a male with dark, unruly hair. His skin was tanned and weathered and he wore faded jeans, a black "Ramones" tee shirt and a beat up old pair of Vans.

"Rory? What's going on? Who is that guy?" Logan asked, a tone of concern in his voice. For a few moments, there was complete silence. Rory continued to gaze at this unknown boy with a look of immense disbelief on her face. Then in a hardly audible whisper, she managed to let one word escape from her lips.

"Jess."


	3. It's Been Awhile

**_Chapter 3: It's Been Awhile_**

"Jess? As in Jess, your ex-boyfriend who left you without an explanation or any type of warning?" Logan questioned, staring back at Jess who was standing perfectly still, seemingly frozen in time. Rory nodded absently, but inside all she felt was pure shock and disbelief.

"What… why the hell… what is he… God, it's been two years since I've heard from him. And now he's jus there like… I can't even think I'm so flabbergasted," Rory managed to tear her eyes away from the boy she once loved to look over at her new love who looked equally as dazed. But it was a different kind of shock. It was an "okay so what do I do now" shock. Glancing back to where Jess had been, she saw that he was now walking towards her. Totally unprepared Rory's heart suddenly jumped into her throat. With each step he took, Rory's pulse raced a little faster. Finally they were only a few feet away from each other. Rory tightly grabbed hold of Logan's hand and took a deep breath.

"Hi," she said, her voice shaking.

"Hi," Jess replied, his voice sounding equally unnerved "It's been awhile, huh?" he continued.

"If you consider two years 'awhile,' then yeah, it's been awhile. Awhile since you left without saying goodbye. Awhile since you disappeared to God knows where. Awhile since you left me to figure everything out on my own. Yeah… it's been awhile. It's been more than awhile. It has been a damn long time. But I've moved on. If you thought I hadn't, then wow, are you naïve. I don't know why you're here Jess, but I don't think I want to. I erased you from my life a long time ago. And I prefer to keep it that way. So bye Jess. See you around," Rory finished her rant and walked away from her past.

* * *

Jess leaned gingerly against the nearest concrete wall as he watched Rory walk away with her blond hunk of a boyfriend. "_Well that didn't go as I planned,"_ he thought to himself, running his hands through his dark, unruly hair. He closed his eyes and put his hands over his face. After a few moments, he put down his hands, opened his eyes, and began to take in his surrounding. Stars Hollow was exactly the same as he'd left it over two years ago. 

"Some things never change," he muttered under his breath. He glanced down the street and saw her walking towards him. There she was. It was Rory sixteen years from now. Lorelai walked towards him, seemingly preoccupied by a lost object in her purse. Luckily for Jess, she had yet to have spotted him. Knowing that this meeting would be just as bad, if not worse, as the one with Rory, Jess hoped that Lorelai would walk right by him without even noticing his presence. Just when he thought that might happen Lorelai stopped just inches away from Jess, still searching through her purse. Jess didn't know what to do so he just stood there and stared at his feet hoping he'd blend into the wall or something. To his disappointment, Lorelai suddenly looked up. The expression on her face mimicked Rory's.

"Jess?" she asked, as if she was trying to convince herself of otherwise.

"Yeah, that's still my name," he replied sarcastically.

"Wow that's a new image for you. A brooding, sarcastic, troubled 'youngen.' Seems like you've changed a whole lot since I last saw you," Lorelai snapped back facetiously. Not wanting to cause a brawl, Jess closed his eyes and tried to compose himself.

"Hi Lorelai. Nice to see you," he said, being as polite as he possibly could.

"Oh, so now you're going to be nice to me? Why are you here Jess? If you're here to try to get Rory back or ruin her life or-"

"Why does everyone assume that I'm here because of Rory? It was over two years ago. I'm not that pathetic," Jess exclaimed, cutting off Lorelai's tangent. "Maybe I'm here because I want to apologize for what I did. Maybe I just want to be friends. _Maybe_ why I'm here has absolutely nothing to do with your precious daughter. So why don't you back off!" Jess stalked away before Lorelai had any chance to respond.


	4. Confessions

_**Chapter 4: Confessions**_

Rory stalked away from Jess practically shaking with anger.

_"Jess. Jess is here. In Stars Hollow. And I just yelled at him. I didn't even give him a chance. Not that I should have, but still," _Rory thought to herself, her mind frantic.

"Rory? Are you okay?" Logan asked sincerely.

"Umm. Yes. No. I don't… I'm just in shock. Pure and utter shock. I think I just need some time to myself. How about you go back to the house. I'll meet you there in like twenty minutes, okay?"

"You sure?" he questioned looking worried.

"Yeah. Yes. I just need some time." Rory reached up and kissed Logan on the lips. His kisses were so warm and comforting; everything felt so perfect for that moment. "Go. I'll meet you in twenty. I promise." Logan hesitantly walked away, leaving Rory all alone. Rory wandered off toward the bridge; the bridge where she had so many memories with Jess. Eating their picnic lunch here. This was the place where their relationship truly started. Thinking about memories, Rory thought back to that night over two years ago. The night when Jess came back out of nowhere and turned everything upside down. The night he had chased her through the streets because she wanted to leave first. The night she read him the right act and he said it. When he said, "I love you" and then took off, never to be seen again. Rory never told anyone about that night. Not her mom, not Lane, nobody. Not a single soul. It was something she had chosen to forget, until today. Rory sighed heavily and sat down on the bridge, letting her feet hang over the ledge, right above the water's surface. She stared out into the trees, feeling completely secluded. She closed her eyes and let the rays of the sun warm her face. She thought of Logan; she was so lucky to have him. She couldn't ask for more. A smile flew across her face and she opened her eyes and stared at the reflection of the sun off of the pond. Suddenly a dark shadow fell over her. Rory turned around quickly and the smile rapidly vanished from her face.

"Hi Rory," he mumbled with his hands in his pockets, scuffing his toe against the dull, aged wood, "can we talk?" Rory stared at him and thought for a moment. She decided it would be good; she's always wanted closure with Jess.

"Sure. We can talk."

* * *

"Luke!" Lorelai exclaimed, barging loudly into the diner. 

"What the…?" Luke's expression was that of extreme confusion.

"Luke, we need to talk. Now." Lorelai's face was determined; this was important. Luke could see that.

"Um, okay, Caesar, take over for awhile, will you?" Luke called into the back. He threw down the towel he had been using and walked towards the entrance to the stairs leading up to his apartment. "Come on let's talk upstairs. In private," he said, suddenly noticing that every customer in the diner was staring at the two. Lorelai nodded and led the way upstairs. Luke followed her up, wondering what possibly could be wrong.

Lorelai burst into Luke's apartment and began to pace.

"Lorelai? What's wrong?" Luke inquired, removing his dingy baseball cap and running his hands through his hair. Lorelai suddenly stopped and stared at Luke.

"Jess. He's here. In Stars Hollow."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure. I was so surprised. I thought he had joined the circus and become a juggler or something, but no. He's here with his leather jacket and beat up old sneakers, just like the last time I saw him. But he's here now. And I may not know why, but I do know that he still has that sarcastic mouth that I just want to slap."

"You talked to him?"

"Yes. It was impossible not to. He was about two inches away from me before I even realized he was there. I was shocked and surprised and I just snapped. We had a falling out and he took off. I didn't know what to do, so I came here. Luke I don't know what it is, but seeing him just makes me so mad. I think it's because I watched him break my daughter's heart and I'm not about to let him come back and do that again. Not this time. No way." Lorelai stopped and stared at Luke, waiting for a reaction. His eyes looked intensely at her. It seemed to him that she was going to breakdown and cry. Luke had seen that happen before and he couldn't bear to see her like that.

"Lorelai, it's okay. He's not going to get anywhere near Rory if I have anything to do with it," Luke said, suddenly feeling very protective of Lorelai.

"Thanks Luke." Lorelai smiled weakly and sat down on his couch. She leaned back, closed her eyes, and her entire face looked extremely distressed.

"Hey Lor, it's going to be fine." Lorelai's eyes popped open at Luke's affectionate nickname. Luke coughed, trying to cover up his brief moment of weakness. The two friends sat in an awkward silence, both of them staring at the ground.

"Um, well, I'm going to go. Thanks again Luke." Lorelai stood up and walked towards the door.

"Lorelai, wait," Luke called just as Lorelai reached the door. She stopped, her hand frozen on the doorknob. Luke walked towards Lorelai and placed his hand on the small of her back. Lorelai turned towards Luke, looking confused. Then Luke, feeling braver than he ever had, leaned in and kissed Lorelai lightly on the lips. He pulled away unwillingly and stared at Lorelai's soft face. She opened here eyes slowly, her face unreadable. Their eyes connected and her face broke into a smile.

"I, Luke Danes, like you, Lorelai Gilmore. And I always have," Luke whispered, staring deeply into her eyes. Lorelai stood silent for a while, studying every inch of his face.

"I like you too," Lorelai whispered back as she leaned in to kiss him again.


	5. Closure

**_Chapter 5: Closure_**

Rory and Jess sat in silence, their feet dangling over the glistening water.

"It's funny," Rory began, breaking the silence, "I imagined myself wanting to break you arm or rip out your hair the next time I saw you. But oddly enough, I'm willing to keep all of your limbs in tact. All I really want is to know why you did what you did." Jess signed heavily and turned to look at Rory.

"I was a loser Rory. I flunked out of school, got kicked out of Luke's. I had nothing, except you. And I knew how upset you would be with all my mistakes. I knew that you knew I could do better. _I _knew I could do better. I screwed up, big time. I thought I should get away. So I went to chase after another screw up; my father." Jess stopped and stared at Rory's hands. He remembered how he used to hold them. He remembered how that felt; not that it mattered anymore. Their lives were different now. She had moved on. And so had he. But he could not help himself. He reached forward and laid his hand on top of Rory's.

"Jess," Rory said warningly.

"Sorry, I… I just needed that. Just for that split second in time. I needed it. I was a wreck without you Rory; an absolute wreck. And even though I loved you, I knew in my heart that we would both be better off apart. You especially. But I didn't know how to say it to you. I didn't know how to be brave and just come out and say it. I cared too much and that's why I ran."

"But… that day on the bus… you could have…" Rory stopped short, puzzled and perplexed.

"But I couldn't Rory. I couldn't bring myself to hurt you like that."

"Don't you realize you hurt me even more by just disappearing? I didn't know where you, what you were up to, if you were lying in a ditch, abducted by Russian spies, or what. You could have been anywhere Jess. Don't you get that? How could have thought that by pulling an 'alakazam' you would make things easier?" Rory stared at Jess, her eyes squinted with criticism and her hands shaking ever so slightly. Jess stared out at the water and the two sat in silence for a good five minutes before he spoke again.

"I honestly don't know what I was thinking. All I knew was that I needed to get out, there and then. But you know what? I was so close to staying. I was so close to staying and it was all because of you. You were the only thing that kept me going. And I think it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life, Rory and I want you to know that. My intention wasn't to hurt you. My intention was to save you." Rory stared at his extremely sincere face, and knew he meant every single word he had just uttered. Their eyes locked, and before they knew it, the two were embracing. But it was the kind of embrace when you see an old friend for the first time in years. They embraced this way because that's what they had become during that one moment. Old friends.

"I'm glad you came back," Rory muttered, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

"Me too," replied Jess. Rory pulled away and smiled wide.

"I'm _so_ glad. I really am Jess. We needed this. We needed some closure." Jess nodded in agreement and cracked a smile. "Hey, do you want to come back to the house? Logan is back there waiting for me, and I'd love for you two to meet."

"Are you sure?" asked Jess warily. Rory smiled and cocked her head to the side.

"Positive."

* * *

"Logan?" Rory called as she barged into the house and Jess entered timidly. As Rory walked into the living room to find Logan, Jess seemed hesitant to leave the foyer. He felt like he wasn't allowed to. Like he wasn't worthy. 

Rory found Logan lying across the couch, watching some sort of unidentifiable music video. As Rory got closer, she saw Logan had fallen asleep. With a smile, Rory leaned down, tucked her hair behind her ear, and kissed her boyfriend on the forehead. He awoke with a smile and greeted Rory with a yawn.

"Hey," he said, sitting up and scratching his head, "was it awful?"

"No, not at all. Surprisingly enough, it turned out being good. Really good." Logan raised his eyebrow at Rory's positivism.

"Should I be worried?" he asked, slightly afraid of what had happened.

"No, not at all," Rory replied with a smile as she lowered herself into Logan's lap, "Actually, I want you two to meet."

"Ah, Rory I don't know. Wouldn't that be kind of awkward?"

"You really can't get out of it," Jess mumbled as he leaned against the doorframe. Logan turned around, looking startled by the addition of a third voice.

"Oh, hi… I… I didn't see you there." Logan looked extremely shocked to see the boy who had broken Rory's heart, the boy she had been screaming at just over an hour ago, standing in her home. Rory stood up and Logan followed. "Logan Huntzberger," he said, sticking out his hand. Damn those manners of his.

"Jess Mariano," Jess replied icily. The three stood around in an awkward silence, while Rory anxiously tapped her foot against the hard wood floor.

"So, how about a drink?" Rory said, trying to make things a little less strange. The boys nodded in agreement and the clan made their way into the kitchen.


	6. The Red Sox Won the World Series

**_Chapter 6: The Red Sox Won the World Series_**

"Rory! I have great, humongous news. I'm talking humongous, like the Red Sox won the World Series humongous. Not that I watch baseball, but I was listening to something on the radio and they said something about the Red Sox so I thought I might bring it up. Anyways. I'm talking huge here," Lorelai rambled as she entered the house in a breathless hurry. Luke's kiss had left her that way.

She scurried into the living room to find her daughter to be nowhere in sight. "Rory! Seriously, I need you. Jess is in town," Lorelai continued as she made her way into the kitchen," and I kissed…" Lorelai stopped short as she walked past Rory's room and found Rory, Logan, and surprisingly enough, Jess sitting in her daughter's room, having some kind of conversation. The three looked up at Lorelai.

"Hey mom. What were you yelling?" Rory asked casually as she sat Indian-style on her bed.

"Uh, hi," Lorelai replied in an extremely perplexed tone, "Rory could I talk to you for a minute?" Rory looked from Logan to Jess to Lorelai.

"Sure," she agreed with slight hesitation. She stood up and left the room, leaving the boys to their own devices. Lorelai led her daughter out the back door.

"So do you want to explain to me the current situation I just experienced?" Lorelai asked with her hands on her hips.

"What?" Rory asked, seemingly confused as if everything was perfectly normal.

"What? Rory, I walk in and I see you and Logan and _Jess_ sitting in your room like you're old chums. Jess is here, in this house, right now. Jess, the boy who broke your heart many a time and then vanished like a ghost in the night, never to be seen or heard from again. And now he's sitting in your room, with you current boyfriend chatting it up? Like, I can't fathom this. I'm so very lost right now. I yell at Jess, and then I kiss Luke, and then I come here and I have to process this and oh, God, I…" Lorelai rambled incessantly until Rory cut her off abruptly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Backtrack please. You kissed who?" Rory inquired, shocked and flabbergasted by her mother's recent confession. Lorelai nervously twirled her hair and looked up at her daughter.

"Luke. I kissed Luke," she whispered, looking like she needed a baby blanket or a pacifier, "I went to his house. Well, his box of an apartment and I had just yelled at Jess. I was upset and frazzled so I went to talk to him and he calmed me down. Then I was just about to leave and… we kissed…"

"Just like that. You just kissed? So your lips were magnetically forced together no matter how hard you tried to keep them apart?"

"No! It was more like he kissed me, told me that he liked me and always had, and kissed me again."

"And then you what? Did you scream, cry, ask for coffee, what?" Lorelai bit her lower lip while Rory waited expectantly for an answer.

"I… I told him I liked him too."

"And did you mean it?" Lorelai stopped and looked around aimlessly almost as if she was hoping the answer would jump out at her. Finally, she looked right into the icy blue eyes of her daughter and nodded, a smile spreading slowly across her face.

The pair began to jump up and down, squealing like two little girls. Rory embraced her mother, knowing that she had finally found something that would make her truly happy.

* * *

Logan stared at the ceiling, at the wall, at anything that wasn't Jess. This had to be one of the most uncomfortable and awkward moments of his life. The moment Rory had stepped outside her bedroom the room has been dead silent. It was so strange for him to sit in this room, and watch this boy who had once caused the girl he loved pain. 

The two boys both sat uneasily, unsure what to do or say. Finally, being the brave one that he is, Jess spoke up.

"You're going to have to look at me sooner or later. You are running out of things to interrogate with your eyes that aren't met."

"Well, you're not much better. I think you need to find a new beat to tap your toes to."

"Surprise, surprise. We're both sarcastic pinheads. Sure looks like Rory has a type," Jess retorted, brushing his hair out of his eyes and leaning back against the chair he was sitting in.

"I guess so," Logan muttered, trying not to slug the kid in front of him. "Why are you here anyways?"

"Whoa buddy. No need to bite my head off. You haven't known me long enough to hate me yet."

"Seriously. Why did you just show up out of the blue?" Jess gave Logan an incriminating stare, trying to decide whether or not to give him a truthful answer. It was a strange situation he was in. Here he was, staring at his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend, and yet he didn't hate him. He couldn't hate him. Though he had once loved Rory, he understood that it was time to move on; he understood that time had finally allowed him to let go and move on to the next phase in his life.

"To be perfectly honest, I just felt like I was at the point in my life where I could completely and genuinely apologize. So don't worry, I'm not her to snake you girl back or anything. I'm just here to life this burden from my shoulders." Logan stared at his shoe, scuffing the toe against the floor. He remained silent for a moment. Then suddenly, he reached over and shook Jess' hand again. Only this time, it was a lot more warm and welcoming.


	7. Reconciliation

_**Chapter 7: Reconciliation**_

Luke stumbled sleepily down the stairs, with a lopsided smile on his face. He had prepared himself this morning in a lethargic haze. He had fumbled with the buttons of his blue flannel shirt and dropped his baseball hat many a time. The afternoon before he had finally done something that he had wanted for so long. He had finally confessed his feelings to Lorelai Gilmore; he had kissed her with great passion and let his bravery prevail over his timid shyness. When it came to Lorelai, he had always been coy and bashful; he was never ever able to confess how he really felt and say what he really wanted. But last night, after he had comforted her in a moment of rancid craziness, he had been overcome with an insane amount of courage and decided right there and then that it was time to reveal his true emotions. The reaction that he had received to his valor had been absolutely perfect; there is no way the reaction could have been any better.

He walked over to the door, opened the blinds, and turned the sign from "Closed" to "Open." He turned to walk back to the counter when he heard the bells above the door ring joyously, announcing his first customer of the day. To his great surprise, it was Lorelai.

"Lorelai?" he asked, afraid of the expression on her face. Without a word, she ran up to Luke and planted a kiss right on his lips. Although he was slightly confused at first, he finally began to give into his emotions and kiss her back. After a moment or two, Lorelai finally pulled away.

"Good," she whispered breathlessly, "I just had to be sure that it would be as good the second time around."

"That's why you're here so early? To make sure my kissing skills haven't diminished in the last twelve hours?" Lorelai smiled sheepishly.

"Indubitably," she said in a vaguely moronic voice. Luke laughed, and looked down at the floor, noticing for the first time her pajama pants and slippers. Her old tattered slippers and the pants covered in huge red lips.

"Comfortable?" he asked, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. Lorelai wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head across his chest.

"Very."

* * *

Rory awoke to the sunlight streaming in through the windows. She sat up, stretched, and yawned. Catching sight of the bright purple post-it stuck to her door, she got up and read its contents. 

"Ran to Luke's, be back soon." Rory looked back at the clock.

"She went to Luke's before eight? On a Sunday? Without me? Well la di da," Rory muttered to herself.

She shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing her dreary eyes. She stared at the empty coffee pot, and contemplated making a pot.

"Screw this. I'm going to Luke's."

* * *

People looking out their windows must have thought that there was something wrong with Rory Gilmore. She strolled down the street in a pair of pajama shorts and a large, oversized tee shirt, totally denying any type of fashion sense her mother had ever taught her. Her hair sat high on her head in a lopsided ponytail and she wore on her feet a pair of sandals that she could swear were once white. It was so strange for her to be seen in public like this, but she honestly did not care. She was in the mood for coffee, and that's all she wanted at this point. 

She entered Luke's after a slightly familiar looking man held open the door for her, ignoring her disheveled appearance.

"Thanks," she said smiling at the man with graying hair as she walked into the diner. At the counter she found a blond haired boy sitting in her usual seat. She smiled as she spotted him and took a seat beside him.

"Excuse me sir, but I do believe you are in my seat." Logan smiled wide, his eyes glistening at the sight of her.

"Well miss, did it have your name on it? I don't believe so. I saw no "reserved for a beautiful young girl with brown hair" sign, so I thought it would be cool if I sat here."

"I'm afraid that you were very mistaken kind sir." Rory smiled and leaned in to kiss Logan on the lips. "Good morning!"

"Good morning. You look… quite unlike yourself." Rory glanced down at her ensemble and shrugged.

"If I had known I would find such a swell looking gentleman, maybe I would have dressed up a little bit. Hey, do you know where my mom is? She left me a note that said she'd be here." Just as Rory uttered these words, her mother came bounding down the stairs that led from Luke's apartment, a wide smile on her face. Rory raised her eyebrows as she saw the wide smile on Lorelai's face. "Hi mom. You look quite happy this morning."

"Well dear," Lorelai replied as she sat down and wrapped an arm around her daughter, "that is because it is such a beautiful day and the sun is shining and the birds are chirping and it has just put me in a glorious mood."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure that's why you are so very happy this morning." Lorelai smiled a devilish smile and leaned in to whisper,

"Okay, and maybe the make out session that just occurred made me a little bit happy, too."

"Eww, mom! Too much information!"

"Shh, shh. Keep it on the 'down low.' That is what you kids are saying these days, isn't it?" Lorelai smiled over at Logan who looked completely overjoyed by the conversation he was experiencing. "Are you finding this amusing?" Lorelai asked.

"Completely," he laughed, leaning over and kissing Rory on the top of the head.

The little bells above the door ran triumphantly and the clan glanced behind them to see whom it was. Jess strolled in, a copy of _Swann's Way_ in his hand.

"Hey," he nodded at the group who seemed to be staring at him. He made his way behind the counter and poured himself a cup. Noticing that Lorelai and Rory were void of any, he asked if they wanted any. The two nodded eagerly, and he poured the mugs without so much of a scowl.

"Do you need a refill?" he politely asked Logan, holding out the coffee pot.

"Sure," Logan replied graciously.

"Okay, well I'll see you guys around," Jess said, making his way up the stairs just as Luke was making his way down. The smile on his face was even bigger than Lorelai's had been. And plus, he was whistling. Who ever thought they would live for the day they saw Luke Danes whistle.

"Good morning," he said happily as he spotted his two favorite girls.

"Okay, you can't hide the truth. I know for a fact this is not the first time you have seen each other this morning," Rory pointed out matter-of-factly. Luke smiled sheepishly and scratched his head. Suddenly, Rory squealed excitedly and ran over to hug him.

"Um, okay…?" Luke stuttered, shocked by Rory's reaction.

"Sorry, I'm just so excited!" Lorelai smiled at her daughter, and then at her newly found boyfriend. It was so amazing that he had been right in front of her eyes all this time and she never even realized it. She sighed happily, and took a sip of her coffee. She didn't think things could get much better than this.

Rory took her seat after her outburst of joy and took Logan's hand. She squeezed it tight and it gave her such comfort that she never wanted to let go. She smiled at her boyfriend that she really and genuinely cared for and then at her mother's newfound romance. Finally, the both of them were happy. Things couldn't get much better than this.

Jess came bounding down the stairs and went behind the counter to stand next to Luke.

"Hey," he said to Rory and Logan, "I was thinking about going to take a walk or something. You guys want to come?" Rory and Logan shared a glance and then nodded.

"Sure," Rory replied. "But, umm, could I go change first? I'm tired of looking like a bum," Rory laughed as she and Logan stood up, still hand in hand.

"Yeah, of course," Jess laughed as he rounded the counter.

"Okay, I'll see you guys later," Rory said, kissing her mother on the cheek and turning to leave the diner. Jess held the door as she and Logan exited. But before Jess himself could leave, Lorelai called his name. He turned back and looked at Lorelai, perplexed.

"Thanks," she said with a genial smile.

"What?" he asked, trying to hide the fact that he knew exactly what she was saying.

"Just thanks." Jess couldn't help but smile this time.

"No problem," he replied as he made his way out the door to meet up with Rory and Logan. Lorelai turned back to Luke who was smiling at her with a lopsided grin.

"You're wonderful," he whispered as he leaned in and kissed her sweetly.

"I try," she replied, wrinkling her nose.

"Lorelai, dear," Miss Patty called, interrupting the intimate moment.

"Yes Patty?" Lorelai answered, turning around in her chair.

"What was that I just witnessed with Jess and Rory and _you_?" she asked, wanting to keep up on the latest town gossip. Lorelai glanced out the window and saw as the three new friends walked across the square. She looked back to Patty and smiled brightly.

"I guess you could say that there's been a reconciliation."

**THE END**


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